SUFFIELD - The Greater Hartford Chapter of the March of Dimes is seeking sponsors for its 2nd annual Play It Forward golf tournament.

The tournament, scheduled for Sept. 20 at Suffield Country Club, offers a range of sponsorship levels to businesses interested in assisting the non-profit organization with its mission to give every baby a healthy start in life by preventing premature births, birth defects and infant mortality.

The18-hole tournament includes lunch, a cocktail hour, dinner, silent auction and raffle drawing. The tournament itself is sold out.

“Last year’s (fundraiser) went really well; we raised over $21,000,” said Janet Leishman, who lives in Suffield and is a volunteer for the March of Dimes and a member of the committee organizing the golf tournament. “We were able to hand that check over to the March of Dimes, and we sold out ahead of the tournament.”

While golfers pay $150 to play, the tournament relies on its corporate sponsors to help meet its fundraising goal, according to Leishman.

Sponsorship opportunities range from $250 to $5,000. There are a variety of sponsorship options, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktail, beverage cart, golf cart, and hole-in-one sponsors. All sponsors are acknowledged at the reception and in the program.

Leishman said she’s not surprised the event receives so much support.

“I think that just about everybody has been touched by either premature birth or birth defects, both of which the March of Dimes is trying to eradicate,” Leishman said. “Believe it or not, the U.S. has high rates of both.”

The March of Dimes was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as the “National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis” after his personal struggle with polio. The organization helped fund research for vaccines with effectively ended the epidemic of polio in the United States at the time. The March of Dimes celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

Leishman, the parent of a baby born prematurely, said it’s critical that the March of Dimes host fundraisers to support its mission.

“Being a non-profit, they rely 100 percent on grants and private funding,” she said. “Local businesses really stepped up last year. Almost all have returned this year, and we’ve had a few additional sponsors.”

April Loiseau Boccasile, another March of Dimes volunteer from Suffield, said she first became involved with the organization 12 years ago after the premature birth of her daughter.

“It’s something we’re passionate about, something we’ll do for the rest of our lives,” Boccasile said. “We do know (our daughter) would not be here without the March of Dimes. We’re grateful for everything they’ve done.”

Boccasile, who lost a baby two years ago to preterm birth, said she has met many other families affected by premature birth and birth defects.

“At the end of the day, you’re very grateful for what you have, regardless of how things turned out,” she said. “Our family has been a (March of Dimes) ‘Ambassador Family’ twice because we’ve experienced different aspects of preterm birth and loss.”
Boccasile said she became a NICU nurse seven years ago, because of her experience with preterm birth.

Those interested in becoming a sponsor for the Play It Forward golf tournament, or volunteering on the day of the event, can contact Leishman at (413) 246-0128 or email janet@appliedproactive.com.